Millennium Chilled Rice Wine by Lynn Clement, Chilled Rice Wine.

 ‘What are we doing for the turn of the Millenium? I asked Soo Yin.

‘I thought a visit with your grandmother might be appropriate.’

‘Not a bad idea,’ I said. ‘How about my birth person too.’

‘It can be arranged,’ Soo Yin answered.

‘A party?’

‘Wait …’ ordered Soo Yin. After a short pause - ‘Party is a non-word.’

‘Oh, I’m apologetic,’ I said.’ Why?’

‘Remember your manners.’

I looked at Soo Yin’s dark eyes framed by a perfectly straight black fringed bob. The face was enlarged to fit the screen. The eyes were emotionless and there was no smile on the lips.

I bowed my head. ‘Again, I apologise.’

Keeping my head lowered, I listened to the silence buzzing in my ears. I knew what was happening. I had slipped up before. My heart thudded.

‘You are to be warned,’ Soo Yin eventually said.

‘I was about to speak but Soo Yin’s voice cut across me …’this is the last time!’

I remained head down and muttered, ‘it won’t happen again.’

‘A visit with your ancestors will be arranged. At 12.01LC, your grandmother and your birth person will appear on your Flashwall. You will be reverent. The memorytime will last 5 minutes. You will wear clothes that they would have worn – red for Tet. It is the homeland’s new year. A millennium since we colonized this satellite. That will be strictly acknowledged in all you say. I trust you will research the correct language.’

‘Can’t you guide me; you are my favourite AI companion.

‘I have been deemed to have failed because you are now on a warning. I am to be removed to archive, pending decisions. You will be assigned Chow Jiang.’

Soo Yin disappeared from my Flashwall, and my tiny Pod fell silent. The darkness enveloped me as the screen shut itself down.

My body shook.

I reconciled to burn the secret book I had been reading, deciding it was that which was giving me ideas above my station. I had thought I was clever smuggling it into my Pod on my latest authorized trip to Maintown. I knew that would be my last visit for a while.

I rubbed my arms trying to keep warm and my thoughts drifted to Gang, our kiss, and the chip he passed into my mouth containing the book written over a millennium ago, with the strange title 1984. It was such a long time in the past and yet, the messages resonated. I wondered what would happen to Gang if my thoughts were swept.

My toes began to tingle. It was hard to feel my fingertips. I could see my breath in  front of me as I wheezed.

This was part of my punishment. Heat and light deprivation.

I had to get to the chip and destroy it before I fell asleep.

Feeling my way, I headed for my rice tin, hoping the cover of darkness would keep my secret.

Hands in front of me I turned left from my chair, a move I had rehearsed with my eyes shut at night. Remembering to maneuver round a small table, I was four steps away from the rice tin.

Usually, this light and heat deprivation lasted thirty minutes. I had time.

The silence magnified the importance.

My eyes were adjusting to the dark and I was able to recognize the outline of shapes.

Reaching out, I felt the cool metal work surface. It was sleek, cold, and yet soothing. I crept my fingers along it like the mechanical spider I’d seen in a film I  was allocated to watch - searching for the perfectly square rice container.

The nail of my finger made a ting on the aluminum-lid. I held my breath.

A flicker of light came from my Flashwall.

‘THAT WILL DO FOR NOW! A robot voice announced. YOUR HEAT AND LIGHT WILL BE RESTORED. IN ONE MINUTE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A KNOCK ON YOUR POD DOOR WHICH YOU MUST ANSWER. YOUR POD WILL BE SEARCHED.

I pulled the lid from the tin, my back to the Flashwall, felt inside and retrieved the chip.

There was a loud bang on my Pod.

Reaching to my mouth and made the chip disappear, swallowing strongly. It made me cough.

‘You are cold,’ said the Poliznaser, as I pulled back the shutter.

I nodded my head and kept it bowed.

‘We are here to search,’ it said.

I pushed the door wider, wondering what tomorrow’s new Millennium would bring for me.

Bio:

Lynn is a regular writer for Cafelit. Her first flash fiction collection, The City of Stories,' is published by Chapeltown Books. See 5-star reviews - #amazonthecityofstorieslynnclement Lynn has stories in The Best of Cafelit 11 12 13 14 &15. 

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